Tutorial - Recycled Paper/Color-Your-Own Building Discs

If you're a blog reader, I'm sure you've already stumbled across this post in one of my favorite blogs, Made By Joel:

Slotted Building Discs


These little guys are SO CUTE. The circle shape is great for making oddly shaped structures, and they're fairly easy for the kiddos to work with (my testers are 3 and 3.5 yrs old). I've got one or two sets lying around the house, and one in my daughter's backpack for playing with at restaurants and other places that have "waiting times."

So why are mine different? They're not really...just a another take on the same idea. The kiddo and I like to do crafts together, so I thought it would be more fun if she could help decorate the discs. And, since I love using recycled materials, we decided to make them out of cardboard boxes. So here's my attempt at being somewhat original...



STEP 1: Click on the picture to download and save or print the template (8.5 x 11 sheet).

Now, you have the option of just using these discs (that's why I put a bunch on the page) if you prefer white paper. If so, then cut these out and proceed to step 5. If you'd like to be green, then follow me...

STEP 2: Cut out one circle to use as a master. It doesn't have to be perfect...none of the others you cut out will be either.

Once you have the disc cut out, make tiny holes where the little grey dots are marked. I used a tiny hole punch, but a pencil jammed thru the paper will work too. It doesn't have to be pretty. These holes are the guides to mark the end of the slits you'll cut later.

STEP 3: Using your master circle, trace circle and mark the dots onto the back of recycled cardboard boxes. We used cereal, cracker, granola bar, etc. boxes. They're nice and sturdy without being too thick (your scissor hands will thank you). Cut lots if you don't want hear, "Do we have any more?" over and over and over...


STEP 4: Cut out some circles. Take a break, massage your hands, and cut some more. Repeat.

STEP 5: Cut the slits. First, cut a line from the edge of the disc to the dot (red line).

Try to make the lines perpendicular to the edge of the circle, or the slits will be wonky. Refer to the original template to see how the first cuts should look (the little grey lines connecting the dots to the outside of the circle).

Now, cut another slit just a *HAIR* away from the first cut (yellow line).

This creates a V-shaped notch that will make it easier for the discs to slide together. Don't make the notch too big or they won't stay together.

STEP 6: Now comes the really fun part...coloring! Have your builders decorate the discs in any way you see fit. Crayons, pencils, stickers, whatever! Just don't cover up the slits or the discs won't work.


STEP 7: Build something. The discs will lock together to form many shapes. If you tower gets too big and falls over, just start building on another part or it. Here are some examples of what our little architects made:




A set of, say, 40 of these little boogers would be a great home-made gift to give a mom of a 3 - 6 year old. IF you want to get fancy, trace the circle template one pictures printed on cardstock...youcould literally build your own family tree. :) Use your imagination. And if you like this tutorial, pass it on.

Enjoy!

A gift a day (or at least as close to a gift a day as I can get!)

So you're looking for handmade things to give to your peeps for the holidays...well, I've found some cool ones, and I hope to post a new one every day. That's saying a lot for a blogger who's last post was two friggin months ago, but I gotta start somewhere, eh?? Here's today's idea:

Get your holiday card on! Since it takes FOREVER to write all those cards, better get started early. Here are a few cute new designs from Houston based stationery designer Amie Needham from A Punkin Card Company:




Amie's cards are available as singles or sets and are a steal at $3.50 for a single and $30 for a set of 10 (other set sizes available). Shop online or find Amie at a local market and shop in person.

New Items added to the Shop

I've been a busy bee...check out the new items listed in the Shop:

I used to be a gamer

Seriously...don't laugh! Now I'm too busy with other stuff (though I still can spend the entire weekend parked in front of my PS2), but I still like to remember the good old days. Like when I used to read a lot of comic books...
I ran across Houston artist Mark Lyons's profile on TalentDatabase.com the other day and thought I'd share. Besides creating some awesome surreal artwork, his pen and ink drawings are excellent and superbly detailed. And what really caught my eye is that he illustrates comic books (a personal fave...my 2nd cousin used to pen The Amazing Spider-Man).

Mark has a comic book/graphic novel coming out this Fall called The Plague Doctor. To find out where to purchase his comics or any of his other artwork,visit his MySpace page or take a look at his Talent Database profile.

A little "Mintd" with your tea today?

Browsing around the www, I came across a community/shopping site called Mintd. It's a place that designers and crafters can put up a profile and sell their stuff. It's more specialized than Etsy, and you actually have to pay for more than 3 images (I'm cheap...I only have 3), but it's a place to go to get the word out. Signing up is free, and the commission they charge won't put you out entirely (especially if you price your stuff correctly!).

I did a search for Houston designers, and I came up with a few profiles for jewelry, stationery, accessories, and other cute stuff. Some of them didn't have stores, but if you click the previous link to the search, you'll see all the listings.






Now go shopping! Cheers.

Picasso was a Cubist

No, that's not a bad thing...and neither is this:
Based in Montrose, Cubist Literature creates one-of-a-kind garments from vintage and recycled clothing by sewing on cute little (sometimes big) appliques. Bunnies, owls, hearts, and other strange creatures adorn t-shirts, sweaters, pants, jackets, and other items. Cubist Literature also offers hand-spun yarns, buttons, art, and even music in his Etsy shop. He'll even stitch stuff on your own garmets (in case you don't trust your bod to vintage sizing).
As you can see, he's a pretty decent photographer. Check out the Cubist Literature Flickr page for more pics of current and past items as well as other nonus (you know...people, places, and things).

Cheers.

Tammy hates the "B" Word

Didn't we all wish we were Barbie at least once in our childhoods? The cute boyfriend, the nice house, the great hair, the horses, the cars, and ALL THOSE SHOES! Not local Houston photographer Debra Rueb...she wanted to be Tammy, a Barbie alternative that we can now all identify with thanks to Debra's cheeky and fun photography. Taking widely used cliches, puns, and metaphors, Debra uses Tammy to create images that we can all identify with... "the 'B' word" or "standing in someone else's shoes."

Debra has been working as a professional photographer since the 70's. Her work includes portraits, commercial photography, travel and adventure, and other subjects. Her works have been published in newspapers and magazines as well as featured in local and internatioanl exhibitions, and she was a participant in Houston's Fotofest. Debra is a member of WIVLA and currently teaches photography at Alvin Community College.

The grass really is greener on the other side

I like to shop, mostly because it gives me the opportunity to find new designers and boutiques. While doing my daily hunt for cool stores in Houston, I came across greener grass design and gift, a web-based Houston boutique that has both a clean, crisp look and a great stock of unique and nifty items (both big +'s in this surfer's notebook).
"Rather than support the further standardization of design, we want to seek products which
can have added value, be beautiful, functional and have lasting significance," states the authors in the "About Us" page of the site. The site has stuff for your home, your pet, your kids, and you; the products range from just the plain weird "Cube Clock" to eco-friendly organic cotton "Onsie and Beanie" set.

My favorite pieces on the site are the "Fireplace for the Tabletop" by Carl Mertens and "Eddie's Cat Room" by The Pet Project.

Happy Shopping. Cheers.

I found myself on the web

It's hard to do sometimes, but I did. Check out this article about my customizable journals.

Cheers

H-Town in pictures

I love my city. I don't love the weather and the traffic, but that's another post. Anyway...I love the buildings, I love the noise, I love the diversity of its people. In 2005, my husband and I took our cameras Downtown and walked around the Theater District taking pictures. The result of our lovely afternoon is a collection of six images that made it onto my very first set of stationery: Inked, by Rara Avis - [Downtown Houston] Collection.
I've since expanded my stationery line, but I continue to get requests for these cards and images. I've added them to my notebook and journal collection and have given them as gifts on several different occasions. And now you can too.

Cheers.

Everyone Needs a Signature

The word "signature" conjures up different images for different people. It could be a stamp of approval, something you're know for, or a binding agreement. In my case, is a line of stationery that bears my personal touch...my artistic and creative signature.



Each Signature cards begins with white 98lb felt-finish cardstock. I then choose different combinations of handmade artisan papers, wire, beads, glass, die-cuts, and anything else I find interesting and create a story for the front of the card. The back side of the card is printed with the Signature logo and stocking information, so it looks as if the sender (that'd be you) purchased the card at some swanky boutique (but I won't tell). All adhesives used are acid free, and any embellishments that could poke or stick you (like the wire on the inside of the card) are covered with a transparent vellum sheet. The idea here is to let the recipient see that the cad was handmade...not something that you find is a standard "store bought" card.

Single Signature cards (4.25" x 5.5") come with both inner vellum and outer felt-finish envelopes. The outer envelope is made from heavy 70lb text paper and has a deckle edge on the back flap. The inner vellum envelope protects the card from the weather or other en route disasters, though I don't recommend that you use the PO as the first method of deliver for these cards. They're pretty enough to be tucked in a gift or delivered by hand.

During holiday times, Signature cards are offered in sets of 5 (cards measure 3.5" x 4.875"). These cards do not have inner envelopes, but you can choose between vellum or felt-finish outer envelopes. The vellum one are great for gift enclosures, the felt-finish for mailing.

Visit my Etsy store for all the Signature cards currently in stock. Cheers.

The White Tree

FINALLY! I've actually gotten a chance to post. Whew! This is the first of quite a few for today, so here goes.

The White Tree is a line of stationery that I produce. With all the talk about global warming and dwindling resources, I thought I'd do my part to help make art out of trash. Well, not trash exactly...magazines.

A small aside here: I LOVE magazines. I read a lot, but I like to flip through a magazine. I can be very interested and pour over it for hours, or I can be flipping through one because I really don't have anything else to do (rarely happens). I always have a mag in my car; most of the time I have one in my bag. They're great for passing the time between client meetings.

Okay, enough about my love for the things...now to the good stuff.

The White Tree products are made from 99.9% recycled materials (not the glue, staples, coils, or the labels...the binding stuff). The magazines come from either my personal stash or from the community. The envelopes, paper and cardstock used are from the Neenah Evironment line...100% recycled paper with 20% post consumer fibers. The outer envelope is a "brown bag" envelope made by a company called the GreenGrocer. For the life of me, I can't find their website, but the site that carries them verifies that they're made from 100% post consumer waste. So there you have it...art with heart. HA!

I currently produce 5 different sets: Lifestyle, Fashion + Music, Spaces + Places, Art + Design, and Houston Mags. Let me elaborate:

• Lifestyle: Publications like Real Simple, O, Self, & Body + Soul. These cards are generally more pastel in color. They have food items, room layouts, clothing pictures...all sorts of stuff.
• Fashion + Music: Magazines like Nylon, Jane, Lucky, Flaunt, InStyle, Rolling Stone, GQ, & Details. Anything goes here -- crazy rocker portraits to Jimmy Choo articles. The colors are generally more vibrant and the layouts are erratic.
• Spaces + Places: Geared more toward the art of a well planned space, these cards can be very colorful. They can also be very subdued -- but they're always pretty! I use Domino, Dwell, Architectural Digest, and Discover to name a few.
  
• Art + Design: If any of these cards are made for guys, these are. Magazines like How & Layers are turned into really neat stationery. These types of magazines already concentrate so much on their layouts, the cards pretty much make themselves. Urban graphics, grungy text, and cool effects are in a lot of the artwork, so these are perfect for a guy or a girl.
• Houston Mags: H-Town! We have a few publications here that I use, mainly old issues of Envy and 002 magazines. Sometimes I use others, but I stick to those for the most part. A lot like the Fashion + Music and the Art + Design categories, these cards are generally bold colored and flashy. And they have Houston stuff...

One last note. For each set, I try to coordinate the 5 cards by color & layout (but I do take some leeway...don't get picky!). I also used the same magazine for all 5 in a set to keep the page finish the same.

These cards are great...you never know what they'll look like until you open the package. Visit my Etsy store to view more pics (and BUY them!).

Enjoy.